You operate a charging infrastructure on the highway, and a freight forwarder calls. He would like to use your charging points for his e-truck fleet, but the price negotiations always fail at the same point. You need to amortize your infrastructure investments and calculate 0.58 euros per kilowatt-hour. The freight forwarder compares this with his business electricity tariff of 0.16 euros and finds your price unacceptable. The deal falls through, your charging stations remain unused, and both sides lose. A scenario that repeats itself daily with hundreds of charging point operators and proves: The traditional business model of "selling electricity" blocks the e-truck revolution.

The solution is not to offer even cheaper electricity prices or higher subsidies. It lies in the throughput model - a new business model that transforms charging point operators from electricity sellers to infrastructure service providers. This innovation allows freight companies to use their own inexpensive electricity contracts at your charging points while you receive transparent usage fees for your infrastructure. The result: better utilization, predictable revenues, and satisfied customers.

What the Throughput Model Really Means for E-Trucks

The throughput model for e-trucks is much more than just an alternative billing method. It represents a fundamental paradigm shift in the business model of charging point operators, opening up new markets and strengthening the competitive position.

The core idea is simple: Instead of selling electricity, you rent out your charging infrastructure. From a business perspective, the electricity comes directly from the freight forwarder's electricity supplier - not from you as the charging point operator. The customer's electricity contract is "passed through" to your charging point. You provide the hardware and receive transparent usage fees in return.

This separation between infrastructure and electricity delivery is commercially crucial, even if physically, the same electricity flows. In liberalized electricity markets, the separate consideration of physical and commercial flows is a fundamental principle. It is precisely this principle that enables the throughput model.

For you as a charging point operator, this concretely means: You no longer have to worry about electricity contracts, price risks, and energy procurement. Your revenues come from usage fees - predictable, transparent, and independent of fluctuations in electricity prices. At the same time, you can attract freight forwarders as customers who previously found your prices too high.

Bring Your Own Power: The New Business Model for CPOs

Bring Your Own Power is the key concept behind the throughput model. Customers bring their own electricity contract with them - just like one brings their own smartphone to a café and only uses the Wi-Fi. You as the charging point operator provide the infrastructure, not the electricity.

This model solves a fundamental problem of existing e-truck charging: Freight forwarders often have significantly cheaper electricity contracts than charging point operators can offer. A large customer with an industrial electricity contract pays 0.15 to 0.20 euros per kWh, while public charging stations must charge 0.55 to 0.75 euros to finance infrastructure and operation. This price difference makes e-truck long-distance transport economically unattractive.

With Bring Your Own Power, this conflict disappears. The freight forwarder uses their affordable electricity contract, and you receive fair infrastructure fees. A typical usage fee is between 0.10 and 0.18 euros per kWh - depending on the charging infrastructure, location, and services. For the freight forwarder, total costs of 0.25 to 0.38 euros (own electricity plus usage fee) are significantly more attractive than 0.65 euros flat rate.

For you, this means potential business opportunities: Fleets that previously avoided e-trucks due to high charging prices will become customers. Your charging points achieve higher utilization, and your infrastructure investments pay off more quickly.

Virtual Balancing: The Technical Foundation

Virtual balancing is the technical heart of the throughput model. It allows for the separate allocation of electricity volumes to different electricity suppliers while the physical infrastructure is shared.

The principle operates through energy economic balancing circles. Each electricity supplier has a balancing circle - a virtual account that records all electricity drawdowns and feeds. In virtual balancing, the electricity charged at your charging point is allocated to the balancing circle of the freight forwarder's electricity supplier, not your own.

The technical implementation requires precise measurement and documentation. Each charging process must be clearly assigned to a customer and their electricity contract. Blockchain technology offers the ideal solution here through immutable and tamper-proof documentation of all transactions.

The platform for virtual balancing performs several functions: It authenticates the vehicles, assigns them to the correct electricity supplier, measures the charged energy, documents the transaction, and initiates billing - electricity costs to the electricity supplier, usage fees to you as the charging point operator.

It is essential to understand: Virtual balancing has been tested in production across Germany since 2022. The technology works, the energy economic processes are established, and the legal framework has been created.

Legal Obligations for E-Truck Charging Point Operators

For e-trucks, the situation is legally clear: Charging point operators must enable free choice of tariffs. This obligation arises from the decisions of the Federal Network Agency to promote competition in e-mobility.

The Federal Network Agency has fundamentally decided that energy users can use their own electricity even at foreign charging points. At the charging station, it is passed through. If someone does not have their own electricity with them, they charge as before at the public charging point - with the electricity offered by the charging point operator.

This regulation is not a burden but an opportunity. It opens the market to new customer groups who previously avoided e-trucks due to the price structure. Instead of jeopardizing your business, free tariff choice expands your business opportunities.

Practically, this means: You must equip or upgrade your charging points to support the throughput model. The good news is that standard charging infrastructure can be made compatible with the appropriate software solution. A complete new investment is not necessary.

The energy economic handling is carried out through established processes. You enter into contracts with platform providers who perform the virtual balancing. They take care of the complete administration - from authentication to measurement to billing.

E-Truck Charging Infrastructure Tender: New Opportunities for CPOs

The federal government has launched a tender for a nationwide e-truck charging network. This tender creates enormous opportunities for charging point operators who implement the throughput model early.

The planned network is specifically designed for truck requirements: High-performance charging points with 350 kW and above, sufficient space for truck maneuvers, strategic locations along main traffic routes. The tender calls for, in addition to standard hyperchargers, some megawatt charging system (MCS) charging points.

For charging point operators participating in this tender or simultaneously building e-truck infrastructure, the throughput model offers a decisive competitive advantage. You can offer freight forwarders attractive conditions that would not be possible with traditional electricity sales.

The tender emphasizes interoperability and customer-friendliness. The throughput model perfectly meets both requirements: It is interoperable with various electricity suppliers and maximizes customer-friendliness by using their own inexpensive electricity contracts.

In the long term, the e-truck charging infrastructure on highways will become the backbone of electric logistics. Charging point operators who adopt the throughput model early position themselves optimally for this growing market.

Bring Your Own Contract: Flexibility as a Competitive Advantage

Bring Your Own Contract expands the Bring Your Own Power concept with additional flexibility. Customers not only bring their electricity contract but can even choose between multiple contracts in the future - depending on the situation and price conditions.

For you as a charging point operator, this initially means no additional effort. The virtual balancing platform automatically handles the allocation. You only see the usage fees, regardless of which electricity contract the customer is currently utilizing.

In the future, dynamic electricity tariffs could make the model even more attractive. Freight forwarders with time-variable tariffs could load automatically during the cheapest times. Your charging points would thus be utilized better - especially during off-peak times when utilization is often low.

The flexibility of the model also allows for new service models. You could offer premium services - preferred charging spots, guaranteed availability, fast charging - with corresponding surcharges on the usage fees. The customer still saves compared to traditional prices, and you generate higher margins.

Blockchain-based Documentation for Transparent Billing

Blockchain technology plays a central role in the implementation of the throughput model. It ensures the immutable and tamper-proof documentation of all charging processes - essential for billing between multiple parties.

The blockchain documents each charging process with all relevant information via smart contracts: Which vehicle charged when and where, how much energy was drawn, which electricity supplier was used, what usage fees apply. This data is stored immutably and can be accessed by all parties involved.

For you as a charging point operator, this means maximum transparency and security. Every kilowatt-hour is documented, every usage fee is verifiable. Billing disputes become practically impossible due to the tamper-proof documentation.

The automatic billing drastically reduces your administrative workload. Instead of manual invoice creation, billing is fully automated based on the blockchain data. At the end of the month, you receive a consolidated listing of all usage fees - sorted by customer, charging process, and period.

The technology also creates trust with customers. Freight forwarders can anytime verify that the billing is correct. This transparency is particularly important with larger fleets with thousands of charging processes monthly.

Business Model Transformation: From Electricity Seller to Infrastructure Service Provider

The throughput model requires a rethink in the business model. Instead of selling electricity, you become a specialized infrastructure service provider. This transformation offers substantial advantages.

First, it eliminates price risks. Electricity prices fluctuate significantly, and as an electricity seller, you bear this risk. Long-term contracts with customers can lead to electricity price increases eroding your margin or even resulting in losses. As an infrastructure service provider, your income is independent of the electricity price - the usage fees remain stable.

Second, it simplifies calculations. The costs for charging infrastructure are well calculable: investment, operation, maintenance, grid connection. This results in clear usage fees per kWh or per charging process. You no longer have to forecast electricity prices or manage energy procurement.

Third, it opens up new customer groups. Freight forwarders who previously rejected your prices as too high will become profitable customers. Instead of selling individual ad-hoc charging processes, you can conclude long-term infrastructure usage contracts with fleet operators - predictable, recurring income instead of volatile single sales.

The transformation naturally requires adjustments. Your pricing structure must be changed from kilowatt-hour prices to usage fees. Your IT systems need to support virtual balancing. And your sales strategy must be focused on fleet customers. But these investments pay off quickly through more stable revenues and higher utilization.

ROI Calculation: When Does the Throughput Model Pay Off?

The profitability of the throughput model can be precisely calculated. The main factors are higher utilization, more stable revenues, and reduced risks.

A realistic scenario: You operate 10 e-truck charging points at a highway rest area. Previous utilization is at 35 percent, mainly ad-hoc charging processes at 0.62 euros per kWh. The average charging volume is 150,000 kWh monthly, corresponding to revenues of 93,000 euros.

With the throughput model, you can win fleet customers who previously avoided the prices. At usage fees of 0.14 euros per kWh, your offer becomes attractive to freight forwarders with inexpensive electricity contracts. Simulation calculations show that utilization could rise to 55 percent, corresponding to 235,000 kWh monthly.

Your revenues would decrease to 32,900 euros per month - but that is only a disadvantage at first glance. Because at the same time, typical electricity costs of 0.25 euros per kWh are eliminated. Your previous margin was only 0.37 euros per kWh (0.62 - 0.25), corresponding to 55,500 euros monthly. With usage fees of 0.14 euros at a higher volume, you achieve 32,900 euros - without the risk of electricity costs.

The implementation costs for the throughput model include software integration and platform fees. With estimated one-time costs of 15,000 euros and ongoing costs of 2 percent of the usage fees, a calculated amortization would occur in just a few months due to the higher utilization.

Technical Requirements for Throughput-Capable Charging Points

The technical requirements for throughput-capable charging points are manageable. Most modern charging systems can be retrofitted with the appropriate software.

Essential is the ability to uniquely authenticate vehicles and assign them to electricity contracts. This typically occurs via RFID cards, apps, or plug-and-charge functionality. Your charging points must be able to communicate with these systems.

The measurement must be compliant with legal standards and tamper-proof. Every kWh charged must be accurately recorded and assigned to the correct customer. Modern charging stations usually meet these requirements as standard.

The link to the virtual balancing platform occurs through standardized protocols like OCPP (Open Charge Point Protocol). Your charging points transmit the charging data in real time to the platform, which then handles the energy economic processing.

The cloud-based architecture allows for centralized management of all charging points. You can monitor all locations via a dashboard, analyze utilization, and view billing - regardless of where the charging points are located.

It is important to choose a future-proof platform. Technology is developing quickly, and you should select a provider that continuously delivers updates and improvements.

Virtual Network Operators: The Next Evolutionary Stage

The term "virtual network operator" describes a potential evolution of the throughput model. Just as virtual mobile network operators do not own their own infrastructure but offer services over foreign networks, virtual energy network operators could emerge.

In this model, various charging point operators would offer their infrastructure through a shared platform. Freight forwarders could access the entire network with a single contract - regardless of whether the charging points belong to you, a competitor, or a highway operator.

For you as a charging point operator, this would mean: Access to a larger customer base without your own sales effort. The platform takes care of marketing, contract management, and billing. You focus on the operation and maintenance of your infrastructure.

The opportunities lie in scaling. A freight forwarder who finds your offer attractive can immediately use it at other locations in the network. Your infrastructure becomes part of a larger ecosystem, which is significantly more attractive to fleet operators than individual locations.

The development is still in its early stages, but the direction is clear. Interoperability and network effects will become increasingly important. Charging point operators who integrate early into such networks will benefit from joint growth.

Selection Criteria for Throughput Platforms

When selecting a platform for the throughput model, you should consider several factors. The technological maturity is crucial - virtual balancing is complex, and only experienced providers can implement it reliably.

The energy economic expertise of the provider is critical. Balancing circle management, schedule reports, and processing with electricity suppliers require in-depth understanding of the energy sector. Check whether the provider has demonstrable experience in this area.

Scalability plays an important role. A solution that works today for 10 charging points must also be able to manage 100 charging points tomorrow - without complete re-implementation. Cloud-based systems offer the greatest flexibility here.

The transparency of the cost structure should be ensured. Do you understand exactly what fees the platform provider charges? Are these performance-based or flat-rate? Are there hidden costs? A reputable provider discloses all cost components.

The maturity of the development should be honestly assessed. The throughput model is still young, and no provider can present decades of practical experience. What is important is the commitment to continuous development and an open approach to current limitations.

The Turning Point Has Been Reached: Now Position Yourself

The throughput model is on the verge of breakthrough. The legal foundations are established, the technology is available, and the federal government's e-truck tender creates additional dynamics. Charging point operators who act now secure decisive competitive advantages.

The market development favors early adopters. Freight forwarders are actively searching for charging solutions that make their business model economically viable. Charging points with the throughput model have a clear advantage over traditional providers.

While implementation requires initial investments, the benefits justify the effort. Higher utilization, more stable revenues, and access to fleet customers make the throughput model economically attractive.

The transformation from electricity seller to infrastructure service provider is not a threat but an opportunity. You thus position yourself optimally for the growing e-truck logistics and build a future-proof business model.

The first step is an analysis of your current situation. What is your utilization rate? Which customers could you win with the throughput model? Which platform providers are suitable for you? What investments are necessary?

The future of e-truck charging infrastructure is open, flexible, and customer-oriented. Charging point operators who actively shape this change will be the market leaders of tomorrow. The technology is ready - it is up to you to make use of it.